How many flight hour make an experienced drone pilot?
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I meant atti mode on a mini quad, just to clarify (no stability whatsoever, not just no GPS position hold). In atti mode the quad doesn't return to level when you release the stick - it's full manual control. But, even just keeping a drifting phantom in control will make you better, but not nearly like learning to control in full manual. I don't know if any phantoms let you do that - I only have experience with the p4, and it won't.
Thanks for clarification - yeah that's pushing it for many but point well made, bit like going back to my ol RC helicopter where everything is manual - no idea how it's still in one piece! terrified me flying it initially - just as when I first few real helis - a long time ago now.
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This is why I bought a mini WiFi drone. So I can practice in manual mode only.
Yeah I'd also say something like this. Experience from hours alone is a lot about where and how you fly.
Let's be honest, cruising around with a Phantom or Mavic 100m up taking a few photos and videos here and there, does not take much skill. After some flights you're good enough and it's mostly about fine tuning your skills. More camera experience and how to plan your shots to make them look good, and a better environment awereness like wind direction.
But flying in tighter spaces closer to the ground quickly ramps up the need for pilot skills. You get actual flying experience from pretty much every minute. All those branches and buildings eagerly reaching for your drone and just waiting to send it crashing to the ground.
I don't think you necessarily have to be flying with a ATTI kind of drone either, even on the latest Phantoms the sensors are not fool proof at all and you need to know what you're doing.Agree on that,,,my flying style goes into cautious mode,,even flying up and down my drive is testing on a good day...so easy to fly high...Yeah I'd also say something like this. Experience from hours alone is a lot about where and how you fly.
Let's be honest, cruising around with a Phantom or Mavic 100m up taking a few photos and videos here and there, does not take much skill. After some flights you're good enough and it's mostly about fine tuning your skills. More camera experience and how to plan your shots to make them look good, and a better environment awereness like wind direction.
But flying in tighter spaces closer to the ground quickly ramps up the need for pilot skills. You get actual flying experience from pretty much every minute. All those branches and buildings eagerly reaching for your drone and just waiting to send it crashing to the ground.
Nice...especially the tiger poster!View attachment 81167since you said old ones,,this one side of my lounge..those little drones go hard
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Thanks for the replies everyone! From talking with companies like KittyHawk and Drone deploy it looks like somewhere between 50-100 hours is more towards the realm of "experienced". I know this is a subjective term. Do you think an aviation authority like the FAA should define what an experienced UAV pilot is?
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View attachment 81167since you said old ones,,this one side of my lounge..those little drones go hard
That's looks almost like a t-max in your pic. I use to have a t-max and 2 revo's. I love those dang things. Very expensive hobby. Cost way more to keep those things going than quads that's for sure.
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PLEASE READ THIS FOR YOUR OWN SAKES
I don't often feel like I need to comment but in this particular situation I feel I must say something.
To be clear I have been designing aircraft, building and flying my own aircraft (including drones) since I was 17 and have been flying aircraft since I was 13.
I run my own surveying company utilisingdrones and have countless hours of experience.
I see a few people on here saying how they have hours maybe even days of flight experience on their DJI drone as if it means something, I am here to say it means diddly squat.
Take driving for example, isn't is strange how someone who has been driving everyday for 20 years is still crap and gets into crash that was from some people's view avoidable.
It happens because you do not learn how to do something by only ever doing it without fault, you need to experience unexpected situations in order to get good at what you do and when unexpected situations occur you need to analyse and learn from them, not just throw the thing away and buy another (like most people who post in this forum admittedly do).
Flying a DJI product should not count towards flying experience hours just like being in a self driving car should not count as driving experience.
You people have no ability to deal with unexpected situations. (Now i am generalising ,there are lots of you this doesn't apply to, but there are more that it does).
This point is important because in a court of law, the above would be why you would loose your case.
flight time != (does not equal) skill/wisdom/experience etc because you aren't really flying the thing.
I find it cringe worthy to be on this forum some times when ******* pilot A complains it isn't their fault because the drone did it and ******* pilots B though Y agree.
I don't often feel like I need to comment but in this particular situation I feel I must say something.
To be clear I have been designing aircraft, building and flying my own aircraft (including drones) since I was 17 and have been flying aircraft since I was 13.
I run my own surveying company utilisingdrones and have countless hours of experience.
I see a few people on here saying how they have hours maybe even days of flight experience on their DJI drone as if it means something, I am here to say it means diddly squat.
Take driving for example, isn't is strange how someone who has been driving everyday for 20 years is still crap and gets into crash that was from some people's view avoidable.
It happens because you do not learn how to do something by only ever doing it without fault, you need to experience unexpected situations in order to get good at what you do and when unexpected situations occur you need to analyse and learn from them, not just throw the thing away and buy another (like most people who post in this forum admittedly do).
Flying a DJI product should not count towards flying experience hours just like being in a self driving car should not count as driving experience.
You people have no ability to deal with unexpected situations. (Now i am generalising ,there are lots of you this doesn't apply to, but there are more that it does).
This point is important because in a court of law, the above would be why you would loose your case.
flight time != (does not equal) skill/wisdom/experience etc because you aren't really flying the thing.
I find it cringe worthy to be on this forum some times when ******* pilot A complains it isn't their fault because the drone did it and ******* pilots B though Y agree.
My opinion - if you can safely fly it without use of GPS and auto modes you've figured it out.
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Yes. I would agree with that.
And I would add.
I noticed many people are using auto landing and stuff like that. These people will never learn anything no matter they have 1000 hours of flying. To learn something you need to risk that something will go wrong and that you can eventually loose your drone. In case someone always flies by all the rules he will never learn anything. There are situations that don't go by the rules. And in such a situation an unexperienced user just won't have an idea what to do.
It's the same with cars. I remember that we tested every car we got on a bigger parking lot when we got snow. For example.We tried to break with back breaks while turning left or right and then to save the situation. This way we learned a lot.
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